kimball



(No Model.) ZSheets-Sheet 1. P. L. KIMBALL.

ELEVA'IOR.

No. 430,655. Patented June 24, 1890.

'me noms Permis co., moro-umu., wAHmcreu, u. c.

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. L. KMBALL.

BLEVATOR.

No. 430,655. Patented June 24, 1890.

@WVM/Lemay i UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

PERLEY L. KIMBALL, OF BELLOVS4 FALLS, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE VERMONT FARM MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,655, dated J' une 24, 1890.

Application filed August 28, 1889. Serial No. '$22,208. (No model.)

l of Bellows Falls, in the county of Windham and State of Vermont, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Elevators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Elevators generally, including those adapted for raising the milk-cans out of the cooling-boxes, known as Cooley creamers, after the Cream has been raised, have heretofore been made with toothed racks, whose length or height is limited to the depth of the interior of the Creamer-box. By reason of this limited length of the racks the Cans Cannot be raised, if so desired for any purpose, to an elevation such that the bottom of the Cans can be brought up to or materially above the top line of the box. While existing elevators, including such as are used with the Cooley creamers, are useful and efficient for all they assume to do, yet in some cases it is desirable to raise the elevator or the cans still higher; and for this purpose I have invented the improvements presently hereinafter described, and whereby, without changing the height or depth of the elevator-shaft or of thecreamer or box, the racks while capable when lowered, as heretofore, of passing entirely Within the shaft or box shall when raised out of the same reach to aheight above the shaft or box much in excess of the depth of the same, thus bringing the bottoms of the cans considerably above the top of the creamerbox-say about 6 (six) inches, more or less.

This invention consists in a special construction and action of devices, all Which will Clearly appear from the following description.

Figure l is a perspective showing my improvements as applied to the box or watertank of a Creamer, the racks being raised; and Fig. 2, an elevation with a side of the box removed and with the racks in their lowermost position.

The main racks A have, as shown, a height substantially equal to the depth of the inside of the shaft, Creamer, or box, and are jointed to a supplemental extension-rack B, arranged to turn inward, and, preferably, these cxtensions are provided at their extremities with a friction-roller C.

D D are the usual gears or pinions Within lthe Creamer, and which when operated by any suitable device, as usual, outside the Creamer serve to raise and lower at will the racks and the platform which supports the cans.

Vhen the racks A are in their lowest positions, as shown in Fig. 2, the extensions B extend inward, thus adding nothing to the vertical lengths of racks A and resting upon the bottom of the Creamer; but when the racks are elevated to raise the cans restingV on the platform these extension-racks B, by their own gravity, gradually assume a vertical position, thus practically adding just so much length to the racks A, and permitting the platform and the cans to be raised just so much higher than otherwise Would be possible, and without the need and the expense of having a very deep tank simply to accommodate a long rigid rack.

When my improved racks are in their raised positions, with their joint-s f above the gears D, their parts or sections A and B are then in one and the same vertical line, and both become practically as if they were a single rigid rack by the agency of a fixed stop or brace G,which not only serves to straighten out the extension B, but to hold it rigidly in its desired vertical position. When the entire rack is being raised to its highest position, the outer end of stops G G come severally into close or near Contact With the inner edge of its then adjacent rack B, and when about at its highest position the upward pull causes the terminal inwardly-proj ectin g or bent part b of rack B to bear upward against the hook part of the stop G, and thus acting like a lever to positively force the lower end of rack B outwardly, and in conjunction with the pinion D to insure its alignment with the rack A. The pinions bear on the rack at one side and the stops bear on it at its opposite side. The inner edge of part B may have a feather or other IOO edge to run in a groove in the outer end of the stop G, and it should extend inward a little farther than the inner edge of rack A, so that the latter in rising and falling need n'ot bear against it.

In Fig. l is illustrated the creamer with its elevator in perspective View, showing the arrangement of the four-jointed racks disposed one in each corner, and showing the action of the stop-braces G when the elevator has reached its highest point. The elevator is held in its different positions by locking the mechanism which raises and lowers it, and not necessary to be shown.

The rollers C are not positively necessary and may in some -eases be omitted, if desired.

It will now be seen that thev adjustable eX- tension of the racks allows a much greater elevation of the cans in agiven size of creamer and affords incidentally a variety of other advantages incident to such elevation readily appreciable by those Versedin the art of creamraising with the Cooley or similar creamers.

My invention, it will be evident, is applicable for other purposes as well as for creamers or milk-setting apparatus-as,for instance, wherever it may be convenient or desirable to raise an elevator-floor above the level of the top of a tank or above the iioor of a house, or store, or apartment.

' I claiml. An elevator for the interior of milk-cooling and cream-raising apparatus, consisting of a vertically-movable frame whose uprights are rigid racks having a length substantially equal to the interior depth of the tank or case and having short supplemental racks hinged thereto at their lower ends to turn inward, combined with gears to operate the racks and with suitable stops serving to straighten the 4o jointed racks and hold them straight when the elevator is run up.

2. In an elevator, and in combination with a case, a frame for raising the cans or articles to be lifted, having a height substantially 45 equal to the height of the case and having racks on its sides, supplementary racks connected to the lower ends of the racks on the main frame and jointed thereto so as to turn inward and rest on the bottom of the case and 5o bent inward at their ends, suitably-mounted pinions meshing with the racks, and suitable stops mounted on the sides of the case and serving to hold the supplementary racks in mesh with the pinions, all substantially as set V5 5 forth.

3. In an elevator, and in combination with a case, a frame for raising the cans or articles to be lifted, having a height substantially. equal to the case-and having racks on its 6o sides, supplementary racks connected to the lower ends of the racks .on the main frame and jointed thereto so as to turn inward and .rest on the bottom ofv the case, and having their ends bent inward and carrying friction- 6 5 rollers, suitably mounted pinions meshing with the racks, and suitable stops mounted on the sides of the case and serving to hold the supplementary racks in mesh with the pinions, all substantially as set forth.

l PERLEY L. KIMBALL.

Witnesses:

W. C. STURoo, FREDERIC H. DRoWNE. 

